Food with a side of Yoga in the 'burgh!

Pittsburgh Restaurant Week

The AMAZING Pittsburgh Restaurant Week menu at Avenue B!

*NOTE*: Neither Chris Bonfili nor Avenue B asked me to write this post. I am just a Friendly Pittsburgh Foodie and Yogini, who enjoys sharing her foodie and Yoga adventures with others. Photos captured on an iPhone7s, and were edited with Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended and Instagram.

Back in January, I was lucky enough to dine at Avenue B, located in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh! Avenue B is one of the restaurants that my friend and foodie colleague Bobby Fry (Co-founder of Bar Marco, The Livermore and Food RevolutionPittsburgh Cooking Club, and current owner of The Swing Truck Food truck) recommended to me as one of THE best restaurants in Pittsburgh! Thus, I decided to take Bobby’s advice and go to Avenue B for Pittsburgh Restaurant Week!

Although the restaurant week menu looked FABULOUS, I decided to order a few dishes off the menu:

My side dish: charred Brussel Sprouts! I must say these were THE best Brussel Sprouts I’ve EVER had!

Main Course: Roasted Organic Chicken with Chestnut Spatzle, Kale and a Carrot Emulsion! Best non-friend chicken dish I’ve EVER had—-ANYWHERE! The chicken was perfectly cooked and prepared (and just tasted wonderful! Like chicken is supposed to taste.). I am a big Kale fan, so if you include it in a dish, I’m happy! I really loved the Carrot Emulsion (something I don’t often see on menus), and my first time trying Spatzle went well! I enjoying gathering a piece of the Chicken, Kale and Spatzel on my fork and dunking it in the Carrot Emulsion! Nice job, Chef!

Considering Mom and I also thoroughly enjoyed the bread plate before our dinner came, we passed on dessert, but certainly LOVED our dinner!

I was very impressed with Avenue B! Friendly service, fantastic food and plating, good atmosphere and wonderful music! I will return to Avenue B, and highly recommend dining here!

The front of G&G Noodle Bar’s menu!

*NOTE*: Neither G&G Noodle Bar nor S+P Restaurant Group asked me to write this post. I am just a friendly Pittsburgh Foodie an Yogini, who enjoys sharing her foodie and yoga adventures with others! Photos captures with an iPhone 5s, and edited with Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Instagram.

Tasha (The Food Tasters) and I were lucky enough to get a preview of the G&G Noodle Bar concept at the New Year’s day lunch at Grit & Grace! I knew I had to return to experience the menu in its glory! Thus, what better way to do so then the Summer 2016 Pittsburgh Restaurant Week?

I LOVE the Dim Sum at G&G Noodle Bar! I wanted to try the Edamame dim sum! I have tried it before in Lean Cuisine dinners (lol), but I wanted the REALY experience!

Dim Sum #2: General Tso’s Cauliflower! Originally, my favorite dim sum was the Pork Belly Bites, and then the Chicken Confit Wings. Thanks to the New Year’s day lunch, this is my new favorite dim sum! My date really enjoyed this dim sum as well!

Course #1: Crispy Wonton Salad! Iceberg, orange, cucumber, sesame, and a ginger miso vinaigrette! This salad was nice and light! The perfect first course to hold me over until the next dishes arrived!

My date’s Course #3: Green Tea Creme Brulee! Also including ginger pears and mint! This was surprisingly good and refreshing!

My Course #3: Five Spice Sticky Buns with Coconut cream cheese! So good I felt like I was floating on a cloud! 😀

Well there you have it, folks! Whether you want to visit G&G Noodle bar either after a theater show for dinner, during the work week for a Power Hour lunch, or for a Sunday, I definitely suggest dining here!

Next post: Brunch at The Vandal (and a special-shout out to the Butterwood Bake Consortium)!

Every summer brings Pittsburgh Restaurant Week‘s second series of the year (usually during either the second or third week of August).

A few of my foodie friends (Tasha of The Food Tasters, Terri of the Parmesan Princess and Robert of the Allegheny Inn) all raved about Revel and Roost! Thus, I decided Pittsburgh Restaurant Week would be the perfect opportunity to try it!

As you can see, I REALLY enjoyed course #1! High quality ingredients for a nice light salad!

I’m very glad that I chose the Pineapple Upside Down-Cake for dessert! They also offered a New York Cheesecake, but I feel like you can get cheesecakes at most restaurants. I’ve only seen a small handful of restaurants offer a Pineapple upside-down cake! This was a great dessert choice, not overly sweet, but just sweet enough to still be a dessert. 😉

Well there you have it, folks! The time you’re in downtown Pittsburgh, I suggest checking out Revel and Roost, located inside the Hilton Garden Inn at Market Square!

*NOTE*: Osteria 2350 did not ask me to review their restaurant. I am just a Friendly Fitness Foodie and Yogini, who enjoys sharing her foodie and yoga adventures with others. Photos captured on an iPhone 4s, and edited with Instagram an Adobe Photoshop Cs4 Extended.

The Winter 2016 Pittsburgh Restaurant Week started on Monday, January 11th and ended on Sunday, January 17th. I was lucky enough to dine at Osteria 2350 (located in Pittsburgh’s Strip District neighborhood) on Thursday, January 14th. I had wanted to dine her for many years; I knew that the eatPGH ladies had already given their prestigious endorsement of this lovely restaurant. Thus, it was time for me to make a reservation, and formulate my own opinion.

Even though my Mom and I arrived thirty minutes before our reservation, the restaurant was still able to graciously accommodate us. I loved the atmosphere and the design of the restaurant immediately, and it didn’t hurt that the gentlemen assisting us throughout the night was a cutie. 😉

I started off with the Winter Sparkler cocktail (pictured above). This was the perfect way to enjoy the night, but not fall flat on my butt when the night ended. X) Here is another photo of my gorgeous cocktail:

Onwards to the food!

FYI: almost everything I ordered was from the special Pittsburgh Restaurant Week menu. Although, you’ll be able to find the last dish that I will mention on the restaurant’s regular dinner menu.

I absolutely LOVED this pasta dish! The pasta was so tasty and very unique; I’m wondering if it may’ve been homemade, since the website said that a majority of their pasta was homemade. I really appreciated all of the vegetables within this dish, as well as the grilled chicken. Such a healthy and light pasta dish!

Somehow, Osteria 2350 made me forget about chocolate for dessert (lol). X) If you give me apples, caramel, and ice cream, I am a happy lady. Plus phyllo dough? As Bourdain would say “oh yeah, baby; the good stuff”.

Another glamour shot of the Warm Apple Phyllo with the house-made ice cream!

Bonus dish- Greens & Beans: Parmesan broth, escarole and white beans

This is the dish I mentioned earlier, that can be located under the regular dinner menu (under Antipasti & Ensalada). This was a bonus dish, kindly given to us by our server before the wild mushroom tart arrived. I must say: this was my FAVORITE dish of the night! 😀

This dish was healthy, light, TASTY and super Italian! Sometimes, simple is best.

Well there you have it, folks! I hope you enjoyed my Pittsburgh Restaurant Week review of Osteria 2350! Whether you either live in Pittsburgh or plan to visit soon, I highly recommend this restaurant!

Did you know that Tako means Octopus in Japanese? Here is the namesake mural at Tako!*DISCLAIMER*: I do not seek monetary benefits from neither Tako, nor its owners, chefs and staff. I’m just a Pittsburgh foodie, who enjoys sharing her foodie adventures! Pictures captured with an iPhone 5s, and edited with Instagram.

Thanks to Pittsburgh Restaurant Week, I FINALLY dined at Tako (the new restaurant from the owners of Meat & Potaotes, and Butcher & The Rye) on Thursday, August 13th, 2015.

The eatPGH ladies have been RAVING about this place in their reviews; thus, my anticipation had surely hit is peak. I made a reservation two months in advance, to ensure my opportunity to dine there.

I REALLY loved this chandelier, made from bike chains!Chandelier + the second floor!The jaw-dropping bar at Tako!Homemade Tortilla Chips from Tako = INCREDIBLE!My Mom and I did the full three course Pittsburgh Restaurant Week dinner. Course #1 included homemade tortilla chips, which were pretty addicting! X)

House made salsa from Tako!Of course, you have to have salsa for the chips! The salsa on the left was a green chile verde salsa, and the salsa on the right was your traditional tomato-based salsa (but I think there might’ve been a few peppers added to the salsa as well). Both salsa was exquisite- even better than the guacamole!

Speaking of guacamole: my Mom and I chose the Traditional Guacamole as our second courses. Let me tell you: both Tako and Round Corner Cantina make THE best Guacamole I’ve EVER had in my entire LIFE! Both restaurants add a few slices of jalapeños, which really adds some nice heat to this cool dish!

My whole meal: two Korean tacos, traditional guacamole, and a Desert Lily Cocktail (this cocktail won the “Taste of the Cocktail” Daiquiri Cocktail Competition).As you can tell, my Mom and I wasted no time devouring the Guacamole!

Soon, it was time for the main course! I chose the Korean tacos, which was composed of: wagyu short rib, peanut, fermented cucumber, sesame, pickled carrot, and cilantro.

I thought no one could beat the PGH Taco Truck, as far as Pittsburgh tacos, but I dare say that Tako has (never fear! The PGH Taco Truck is still my favorite food truck)! The fattiness of the wagyu short rib paired well with the saltiness of the sesame oil; the cucumber and carrot both gave the taco a refreshing taste. These tacos made me so happy!

My beverage of choice: the award-winning Desert Lily Frozen Margarita, crafted by MaggieThe very first time I dined at Butcher & The Rye, Maggie was one of my two servers (the other one being Wes Shonk, who now works at Wigle Whiskey); I had heard good things about her, since she used to work at Salt of the Earth (a LEGENDARY restaurant in the ‘burgh, formerly owned and founded by Kevin Sousa). Once Tako opened, she was recruited to manage Tako’s Tequila and Mezcal program. Thus, I HAD to try a cocktail from her!

Nevertheless, this cocktail lived up to its award-winning reputation; thank God I had two tacos, to help soak up this lovely margarita in my belly. Otherwise, my Mom might’ve had to have wheeled me home. X)

My dessert: churro funnel cake, with macerated strawberries, and vanilla ice creamI loved the vanilla ice cream, but the funnel cake churro was less than stellar. Next time, I would either pass on dessert, or order something else for dessert.

Overall, I had a VERY positive experience at Tako! Meat & Potatoes is still my favorite Richard/Tolga restaurant, but Tako has now climbed up to the #2 spot! I look forward to returning here in two weeks for dinner!

I really loved this Tequila sign (reminded me of the RYE sign at Butcher & The Rye)!

Framboise cocktail (courtesy of Brian) from The Grand Concourse- very refreshing!

*DISCLAIMER*: I do not seek monetary benefits from neither Brian McCollum, nor Pittsburgh Restaurant Week, and The Grand Concourse. I’m just a Pittsburgh foodie, who enjoys sharing her foodie adventures! Pictures captured on an iPhone 5s,and edited with Instagram.

Monday, August 10th, Brian McCollum (Founder of Pittsburgh Restaurant Week) hosted the Summer 2015 Pittsburgh Restaurant Week Blogger Dinner at The Grand Concourse! I was particular excited to converse with the Pittsburgh Bloggers, and dine at a classic Pittsburgh restaurant!

Pictured above is my complimentary Framboise cocktail; this was heavenly!

Summer Chopped Salad from The Grand Concourse

The salad was the highlight of the whole dinner! Besides mixed greens, it also contained: grilled peaches, walnuts, pecans, blackberries, and goat cheese. Talk about summer on a plate! 😀

Coconut Curried Vegetables with Ginger Scented Bamboo Rice!

This dish reminded me of a vegetarian Pad Thai; it was sooooooo good!

Media Luna: chocolate-dipped croissant, filled with an almond pastry cream, with raspberry sauce drizzled on top

Do I really need to say much more? This was chocolate and pastry heaven on a plate!

*I chose all Pittsburgh Restaurant Week menu options. The only item that I did not see on the regular summer menu was the Summer Chopped Salad.

All in all, a sophisticated dinner, in an elegant restaurant, surrounded by friends = a good night!

*DISCLAIMER*: I do not seek monetary benefits from neither Pittsburgh Restaurant Week nor Habitat. I am just a Pittsburgh foodie, who enjoys sharing her food adventures with others. Photos were captured with an iPhone 5s and were edited with Instagram and Adobe Photoshop Extended CS4.

Three weeks ago, my Mom and I FINALLY dined at Habitat (located inside the GORGEOUS Fairmont Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh). I’ve heard nothing but good things about Habitat from former co-workers, friends and of course, the eatPGH ladies. I’ve been wanting to dine at this restaurant for a long time; thus, I decided that testing out the Pittsburgh Restaurant Week Winter 2015 dinner menu at Habitat would be the perfect option! 😀

Salted Caramel Pumpkin Soup from Habitat

Dish #1: Salted Caramel Pumpkin Soup with Spiced Cream. Let me tell you- my picture does NOT do this dish justice (I tried my best for the photo)! This dish was the best dish of the night! Best soup dish I’ve ever had in my entire LIFE! What a clever concept to pair the savory taste of the pumpkin with the sweetness of the caramel. This was the PERFECT fall dish!

Beef Short Rib dish from Habitat

Dish #2: Beef Short Rib with Butternut Squash Puree, Blackberry Polvrade and Roasted Brusssel Sprouts! The beef short rib was so tender (and it looked beautiful on the plate)! The butternut squash puree was so tasty! The creaminess of the puree matched well with the crunchiness of the brussel sprouts (which were FANTASTIC).

Habitat’s version of Sticky Toffee Pudding

Dish #3: Winter Solstice– sticky toffee pudding, toffee sauce, manchego cheese streusel and fig brandy ice cream. I can’t even compare this to the Sticky Toffee Pudding that I had at Gordon Ramsay’s Pub & Grill. This sticky toffee pudding was a SOPHISTICATED (and delectable) sticky toffee pudding! It was not overly sweet (which I appreciated)! The streusel was nice and light, while the ice cream had a more decadent taste. The sticky toffee pudding was moist, and the toffee sauce was sooooooo good!

Needless to say, my first dinner at Habitat was a success! I will definitely return!